National Insurance Institute ordered to pay arrears to victim of hostile acts
The Regional Labor Court in Be'er Sheva ruled that the National Insurance Institute underpaid a victim of hostile acts for 7 months of loss-of-livelihood benefits. As the institution failed to justify the discrepancy between the actual payments and its official tables, it was ordered to pay the difference of 13,658.72 shekels.
The Regional Labor Court in Be'er Sheva has partially upheld the claim of a victim of hostile acts, ordering the National Insurance Institute to pay him 13,658.72 shekels gross. The court found that the benefit paid to the plaintiff for 7 months of eligibility was lower than the amount stipulated in the institution's payment tables, and that the institute failed to provide any explanation for the discrepancy.
According to the verdict published in "Bizportal", the plaintiff, who is recognized as a victim of hostile acts with a 20% psychiatric disability, had requested loss-of-livelihood benefits for a 16-month period, from September 2024 through December 2025. After the National Insurance Institute's committees rejected his initial request, he sought judicial review. During the proceedings, the institution approved a retroactive payment covering only 7 months, from September 2024 to March 2025.
The court rejected the demand for benefits covering the additional period. It was determined that starting in March 2025, the plaintiff reported income as a self-employed individual, and the National Insurance Institute was entitled to rely on the advance payment reports he submitted to assess his eligibility. Furthermore, no evidence was presented to prove that he was not working within the framework of the business he had established.
However, the court accepted the argument that the payment for the 7-month period had been calculated incorrectly. While the National Insurance Institute's tables state that an insured person with a disability rating of 19%–39% who has children is entitled to 7,566.71 shekels gross per month, the plaintiff had been paid only about 5,615 shekels per month. Judge Yael Engelberg-Shoham ruled:
"Since the National Insurance Institute did not respond to the argument and did not explain the gap, the plaintiff's calculations should be accepted."
The plaintiff's claim for 50,000 shekels in compensation for emotional distress was rejected, with the court finding no grounds for such an award and ordering each party to bear its own legal costs. The National Insurance Institute must transfer the outstanding balance within 30 days, and both parties retain the right to appeal to the National Labor Court.
